NEWBERG, Ore.—Anna Woodman, owner of MAE vegan and palm-free skincare products, announced that she is seeking buyers for her soap and skincare business.
“With a heavy heart, I have decided to sell MAE,” Woodman said on Instagram. “My first thought was to close completely, but my friends and family encouraged me to sell.”
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Woodman launched MAE in February 2020 after learning how to make soap from a book. She initially made bars as holiday gifts and, encouraged by positive feedback, started her business in her basement. She began selling soap—eventually adding hand cream and candles—locally, nationally, and internationally.
After outgrowing her basement, Woodman secured a 1,200-square-foot warehouse space in January 2024 at the corner of East Sherman Avenue and North Main Street in Newberg. This space now serves as MAE’s production, workshop, and retail outlet. The shop hosted a grand opening on June 29, 2024.
Read about MAE’s Grand Opening announcement from Newsberg’s June 25 edition.
“We are selling our business because we started having kids, who are very close in age, and decided it was time to close this chapter,” Woodman said in her business proposal.
Photo: Branden Andersen/Newsberg
Woodman is asking for $30,000 and a 5% retaining stake in the business according to MAE’s BizBuySell page. The price includes all existing inventory, equipment, recipes, and access to existing marketing assets. The future owner will also have the option to continue the lease at 115 E. Sherman St., Suite 103, in Newberg. She reports the business’s gross annual revenue as $52,000.
“I am hoping that MAE can live on and that new owner(s) will come along and continue what we’ve started,” she continued in the Instagram post.
If the right buyer doesn’t come along, Woodman said she will cease operations at the end of October. However, she doesn’t believe that will happen.
“I’ve gotten about 30 inquiries and have been setting up calls or in-person visits to the shop,” Woodman told Newsberg.
She will accept offers until Sept. 6, when she will close the offer window and begin reviewing offers.
Learn more about the sale at MAE’s BizBuySell page.
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